Spring key holder



Patented Jan. 20, 1942 SPRING KEY HOLDER Rene C. Brugnoni, Woodside, Long Island, N. Y. Application January 11, 1939, Serial No. 250,319

6 Claims.

This invention relates to spring key holders or containers for the compact and convenient storage of a plurality of keys, such as those used by individuals for looks for houses, automobiles and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact rigid container having a plurality of separate compartments, each of which is adapted to permanently hold one or more keys in readily extensible position, so that the user may quickly project from the container a particular key as needed at the moment, and thereafter quickly return said key to its enclosed position for return, for instance, to the user's pocket.

Another object is to provide such a container in which the expanded finger-contacting portion of the key has been removed and the key fitted into the container in such manner that the container serves as the handle or the key contacting portion with the fingers to adapt the key to thus be turned by gripping the container.

A still further object is to provide a. simple structure in a generally-rectangular-shaped container for retaining key members either in enclosed relation or in extended relation with said container, said holding means utilizing friction for its holding action.

A still further object is to provide a key container in which two keys are movably held in each cell of the container, there being a plurality of adjacent cells comprising the container and also one cell containing one or more keys and adapted to be readily separated from the other cells; the purpose here being to divide the keys into more than one key containing portion, as for instance when ones car keys need to be used alone and independently of the remaining keys in the main portion of the case.

A further object is to provide a key holder consisting of a plurality of identical holding units adapted to be assembled together to make a composite holder for any desired number of keys, at will.

All these and other objects as suggested herebelow are attained by the methods and means new to be described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical elevational view, partly cut away, showing in side view one of the container cells containing two keys, one in completely enclosed position and the other partly extended.

Fig. 2 is a vertical edge elevational view of the container unit of Fig. 1, also partly cut away to 85 six keys each and one of two keys.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the removable method of applying the single cell unit across the end of one or two plural-cell units.

And Fig. 5 shows a side elevational view, partly cut out, of two plural-cell units aflixed together to make a twelve-key container.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The invention consists essentially of one or more individual key cells adapted to contain one or two keys per cell. Such a unit is shown in detail and enlarged about twice in Figs. 1 and 2. The cell consists of side Walls Ill, edge walls I! and a bottom member l2. The top is open'as shown, and the side walls It have slots Illa, centrally positioned, and extending from near the bottom to near the top of each wall.

One key, partly projecting from the cell is shown at I3 and this key has had its finger-engaging or handle portion removed to terminate in a dove-tail shape l3a. A flat carrying member It, of substantially the same thickness as the key is made to fit over the portion 13a thereof,

' as clearly shown in the drawing and this member carries an operating button l5 on a sleeve or pin is designed to project through slot Illa in the side wall and be slidably movable therein. Member [4 terminates in rearwardly bent spring portions Ma having end lips Mb which engage a recessed shoulder Ha in the edge walls of the cell, thus holding by slight spring pressure the key in its fully enclosed position when not in use, and yet permitting the user, by pushing out wardly on upwardly projecting button IE, to move the key into fully exposed position, in which position elements Mb will be held in the outer recessed edge shoulder portions lib, Ilb. Thus when the key is extended from the cell fully the operator does not need to hold it in such position by pressure on button l5 while inserting the key in the lock preparatory to locking or unlocking the same. The other key in the cell is shown at H and its operating button at l8, said button being mounted on the sleeve or pin l9 which attaches it to a key-holding member similar to member I4 and here numbered 20, with its lips 20b. The bottom or end member 12 of each cell may be assembled to the side and edge walls thereof as by pins 2| projecting through lugs llc.

Various arrangements of cell combinations may be used to make up the complete key containe One. of them is suggested in Fig. 3 which consists of two units of three cells each, attached together in removable manner by a single cell. The method of attachment may be somewhat as shown in cross section in Fig. 4 in which the bottom members of units 22, 23 have dove-tailed projecting strips 22a, 23a slidably fitting into corresponding recesses on the two sides of single cell unit 24. Thus, unit 24 may be readily detached from either or both units 22 and 23, as when necessary to use the key or keys contained in the former independently of those contained in the latter. Any suitable means may be employed to attach the vertically adjacent cell units together into a series of two or more. If the -material used is of brass, they may be brazed.

Or a composite case may be made with suitable partitions to form the cells. Or they may be slidably removable in some such manner as suggested for the separation of elements 22 and 24, for instance.

Fig. shows two three-cell units attached together end to end, and this attachment may be permanent and non-removable so that the complete container is adapted to contain twelve keys, since there are two in each cell.

It has been stated that bottom member I2 is fastened to the cell case as by pins 2|, and it will of course be understood that one of these pins may serve as'a hinge and the other as a locking pin, the arrangement being such that member l2 may be swung downwardly and out of the way when inserting and removing or replacing keys in each cell from said end. And of course it will be understood that when so inserting the keys they are preferably first positioned in their holding member 20 (or H) and that the stud or sleeve is of button I8 is inserted from outside through the slot in the case andscrewed or otherwise fastened to said member 20 to complete the assembly.

Thus it will be understood that the bottom may be made to snap, hinge, or slide; and the key case can be formed of a suitable metal, Bakelite, Lucite, or any other moldable or workable material suited to the purpose. The spring key holder may be preferably formed of spring steel material suitably shaped to retain the key and its dove-tailed portion, which portion may have been cut from the original holding portion of the key to thereby reduce it in width for compactness. The dimensions of each cell may be such as to accommodate any type of key although nowadays the cylinder lock type of key is mostiin vogue for nearly all purposes and it is that one; that is illustrated.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which Letters Patent oi the United States is desired, is:

1. A key container having a plurality of adjacent key cells rigidly securing together, and another key cell having means removably securing it acrossthe ends of the said adjacent cells.

2. The invention as in claim 1, said securing means including one dove-tail member on the adjacent cell portion and a corresponding reverse member on the single cell member and in slidable relation therewith.

3. The invention as in claim 1, there being a second portion of like adjacent cells having means removably securing the cells to the opposite side of the single cell member.

4. A key container having edge walls, slotted side walls, and a member adapted to slide in each of said slots, both top and bottom ends of the container being open, and there being means for exposing the bottom opening and inserting a key therethrough, projecting it through the top opening, and operating it from without by said slidable member.

5. In combination, a key having a reduced holding portion, a rigid-walled case adapted to enclose the key, and a slidable friction-holding attaching means between key and case and adapted to permit the key to be moved and held either in enclosed or in exposed position, at will, said holding portion having a male dovetailshaped end, and said attaching means having a corresponding female dovetail-shaped end for removable interlocking engagement therewith.

6. In combination, a key having a reduced holdingportion, a rigid-walled case adapted to enclose the key, and a slidable friction-holding attaching means between key and case and adapted to permit the key to be moved and held either in enclosed or in exposed position, at will, said case having parallel side walls terminating at their ends in recessed shoulder portions, and said attaching means having spring-pressed lugs adapted to slide along the side walls and be frictionally locked in said end recesses.

RENE C. BRUGNONI. 

